The Celtic Knot Sister Necklace

I've been thinking a lot about my sisters lately...my two sisters Pat and Jude...and the sisters we have lost to cancer Liz and Cathy. Maybe because we spent Memorial Day together...all of us in one state; having the ability to run down the road a bit and be at another whole part of the family. Also my sisters Liz and Cath's children were there...some of them now have children of their own and it was great to celebrate the lives of these two great women simply by being all together.

Additionally, my sister Pat is working on a wonderful project about sister loss and I have been helping her launch her website which will be up and running very soon. The project is awesome and stems from the fact that when she lost our first sister, she began looking for resources to help her work through the feelings of that horrendous loss and found that there were barely any and what was out there for help and guidance was scattered and fragmented. Hence, the SisterLoss Project was born and she has done an incredible job using a integrated approach. I'll let you know when the website is launched...it's going to help a lot of people. I am so proud of Pat.
These were the things I was thinking about when I created this necklace. The Celtic Knot is a symbol of the lifetime bond between sisters; no matter how complex the relationship, it is one of the purest forms of love around. The delicate sterling silver chain holds groupings of beads featuring malachite and swarovski crystals and tiny sterling silver stars.

So this necklace is inspired by Pat and by all my sisters...and dedicated to all sisters everywhere!
The Celtic Knot Sister Necklace can be purchased at my shops on ShopHandmade and UsTrendy and at my Etsy Shop.

By the way, today would have been my sister Liz and her husband's 36th wedding anniversary!

Use The Muse Contest

I am so excited...I entered the Use the Muse II contest and am anxiously awaiting my kit! The prizes are awesome...all my favorite things! The grand prize is a treasure chest filled with freshwater pearls, all kinds of swarovski products (pearls, crystals, pendants), seed beads in a rainbow of colors and different sizes, and a LillyPilly Pendant, as well as a vast array of hand-dyed silk ribbons...plus much more. In addition, the grand prize winner gets a $50 gift certificate to ArtBeads.com who is one of the sponsors of this contest(the other sponsor is Rainbows of Light). Talk about heaven! There are several different levels of prizes so that many people can be winners.

The primary reason I am entering is I think it may help me think out of the box and grow as a jewelry artist...but don't get me wrong, a chest full of beautiful beads would also be wonderful! Wish me luck!

Fun With Gold

So my nephews gave me some gold-filled wire that has been really fun to work with! Made a few rings today...using some great freshwater pearls from The Purple Door in Jamestown and a big fat amethyst quartz I had in my bead collection. I think I am going to try some wire wrapping of pendants next so stay tuned!

What is gold filled wire you may ask?

Pure gold is 24Kt. and is so soft that is it impossible to utilize it in wire wrap jewelry. Gold filled wire is created by taking a sheet of 14 kt. Gold and bonding it through extreme heat and pressure to a core of semi-precious metal (brass). This is a very sophisticated process and only a few mills in the world do it. This process is not GOLD PLATING. There is a very big difference. The end result is a 14kt. tube which is strong, durable, and resistant to tarnish because of its 14 kt. gold covering. There is 100 times more gold in 14 kt. Gold filled (rolled gold) than in gold plate. A 14kt. gold filled piece is usually considered a lifetime piece of jewelry.

A Wonderful Holiday

I went down to Rhode Island for a family reunion and birthday party for my sister Pat and for me! It was great! My sister Jude lives down there and I stayed with her.

Hooked up with the Hermit Designer who is working on some interesting designs I'll be able to show you later on this summer!

My sister Pat and I went to a great bead store in Jamestown called The Purple Door (formerly Deb's Beads)! I bought some beads for this design I have been carrying around in my head for the longest time that uses two different types of chain and stones that reflect white and blue and gray and resemble what it feels like when you look at the moon at night. Found some really great black-gray jasper ovals to capture that moon like quality and some smaller stones that tie into the theme nicely.

What a great shop! It carries both beads and beading accessories and beautifully handcrafted jewelry pieces. If you are in or around Jamestown this summer...you should definitely stop in!

Okay, here's a tiny peek of what this moon necklace is beginning to look like...I am still in the early stages of design but I am soooo excited to show you!